Knit, Crochet and Natter 7: the School of Stitchcraft and Wizardry

[lazylinguist]

A thread for woolly crafters of all kinds, from beginner level to advanced sorcery!

Previous thread here

I don't actually know. Other than wearing them for the photos I haven't worn them yet Boot cuffs look lovely but I don't think they'll make your legs any warmer as they aren't very big.

I've done nearly all my shopping, just a couple of stocking fillers left to buy and something for my mum and step dad. Lucky children getting laptops! They definitely won't need anything else!

No, I know. It's just the "it looks a tiny pile" thing 🙄 They know there's not going to be much else & are fine with it, that's definitely plenty spent. Tbh, I'm planning to share while they're at school too...they just don't know this yet 🤣.

Their dad has kindly offered to set them up. Both girls strangely declined his offer which made me chuckle!

Oh I get the tiny pile thing. DS1 is getting trainers (they were twice my usual shoe budget so I told him he could have them but half of the cost came out of his Christmas budget) and a lamp for his desk.
DS2 is getting a lego set and it's a joint present from me and my Mum because it was expensive. Although it was reduced by £50 for black Friday so he wouldn't have got it at all usually, unless he saved up!
I've also bought them a churro maker to share. Mums planning churros for breakfast on boxing day

I pad out small piles with a big flat box if chocolates and food things like Pop Tarts that I don't usually let them have.

Hope you're feeling better @lazylinguist.

I believe I have a yarn delivery today although I've never seen the wool in real life and I am a bit worried as it's come from Lindehobby who are not UK. They had Drops Wish half price on Black Friday. Also the forest green alpaca silk I want to make that jumper out if. Much excitement!

I've only bought presents for the dog so far! Had my booster yesterday and arm is aching now so crochet off the cards today.

Ooh Crochetbug I didn’t know you could get churro makers - DH would love one of those!

@NiceCardigan they have them in Aldi. £15 so a bargain!

I'm feeling better thanks, but still a bit run down and knackered, because I've got one of those tickly coughs that only happen at night, so I'm not sleeping well. I'm also missing singing in my choir concert tonight, as my throat definitely wouldn't cope!

How funny @CrochetBug - I was looking at churro makers on Amazon the other day. My two love churros, but they're too lazy to bother making them I think! Dd is getting her annual Spotify premium subscription from us, and ds is getting money towards the gaming pc he's saving up for. Both of those would use up our usual present budget, but I'm going to get them a couple of little bits and bobs so they have something to open!

Are you all at home for Christmas? We are away at PIL down south from 24th to 27th. They have kindly invited my parents to join us all on Boxing Day, as they will be potentially less than a week post-house-move! Having my dsis and her family to stay for 3 nights over NY.

We're staying home this year. My dad will visit Christmas eve after we've been for our veg from the market. It's probably my favourite day of the year.

We walk into town get a hot chocolate, wander the market for veg & a visit to the cheese monger for something unusual, then head home to prep the veg 😊

Nanna wants to come to us on Christmas day for a couple of hours. They're only ten minutes away so that suits me fine.

I've found a crochet willy youtube video, by the same person as the reindeer so written the instructions down. I think I can manage to make it slightly bigger without help and work out where to place the eyes!

I need to root out yarn after work, before the girls get home!

I do like a delivery @MerylSqueak! You'll have to show us later on. I always send parcels to my friend's address at this time of year so there's definitely someone home!

We will go to Church on Christmas morning, and then to my mums for the day. Then boxing day at dad's which is usual for us. The DC may or may not go to their Dad's

Hopefully you feel better soon lazy tickly coughs are the worst.

Can’t wait to see your completed village lucysmam.

I bought my presents back in October but I’ll be sending most of mine back with my mum when she visits in a few weeks. I’m mad at DH as he’s guessed his presents again. Just before Christmas and his birthday he’ll say he’s thinking of getting whatever I’ve already got him. Every year we have the same discussion of why don’t you wait until Christmas/your birthday and see what you get 🤦‍♀️ This year we’re staying home. We’ve bought a frozen 3 bird roast and we’re going to get some premade trimmings from Tesco and just eat it whenever we’re ready. We’re expecting lots of visitors between Christmas and new year though!

Popped into town today and went into the yarn shop. They’ve got a new yarn in stock which I had to buy It’s the stylecraft ReCreate and is made from recycled yarn. I have a pattern in mind but I’ve no idea how much yarn I need for that so I’ll be winging it. Like always! DH also slipped some pretty crochet hooks into the basket for me.

Ooh, that looks lovely InTheNight, those shades are beautiful.

Ouch lazy I hope it goes away soon!

I'm so excited for you Meryl can't wait to see your colours.

I finished my jumper 🥳 I must have taken off about 200g of wool before knitting the new ribbing. I like it now.

Ooh, that does look good Flavia!

Those hooks look very fancy InTheNight.

I've just assembled the bandstand - I had to sit holding it while the glue went tacky otherwise the sides just kept pinging back out of place 🤣

I'm going to start the reindeer willy now & then probably carry on with the little church later on.

That looks great Flavia!

Beautiful bandstand @lucysmam! Reindeer willy?

🤣 yep. Everything that's annoying, not quite right, things that go wrong...it's all willy. So, when I saw him, he seemed perfect 🦌

Thanks

How was your delivery @MerylSqueak? You're keeping us in suspense

I won £25 in the PayPal winter giveaway and I'm both thrilled and frozen with indecision. It has to be spent by the end of the December and only works on sterling payments which rules out a few things on Etsy I'd had my eye on. I could be sensible and will probably end up spending it on something practical but but but...

It didn't come It was a load of gerbil things for DDS birthday. They're were about 5 parcels when I got in but none of them was squishy.

That jumper looks a million times better your way @FlaviaAlbiaWantsLangClegBack. Well done. As to the £25 I have only three words for you: Drops Alpaca Sale.

Loving seeing your winter village assemble @lucysmam

That yarn looks lovely@InTheNightWeWillWish is it expensive?

We're at home this Christmas. I'm somehow the only adult in my immediate family with a house so the two closest come to us. I've done it for twelve years now and in part bought the house I did to make it easier but I have to say, it was a nice break last year. It's a set up I wanted to provide but with all the price rises I'm feeling a bit sick about making the money stretch. They are foodies too, so scrimping is hard. Really don't know how I'm going to show everyone a good time and afford it. Neither of the guests have a wage either (one took early retirement and is living off savings; the other lives in a retreat) so it's awkward to ask for much beyond a few bottles of wine. Anyone with any cheaper roast ideas I'd be glad to hear. No one likes turkey. I got away with a £30 frozen goose last time but it really wasn't great.

Crikey, that sounds hard @MerylSqueak. Dh is the roast expert here, but how about a large pork shoulder joint, stuffed with something festive? It's tough to be always the one hosting. I made it to my mid 40s never having hosted Christmas (and have never cooked Christmasdinner ), but my parents have finally said they don't want to host any more, and I'm guessing PIL won't be far behind. Trouble is, we are a long way away for them to come (unless we move).

I've finished the colour work part of dh's hat. Just the dark blue crown to do!

Oh Meryl, it's disappointing when all the parcels arrive except the one you want though! Thanks, I'm so chuffed with it now

We're doing Christmas for just us and my SIL. DH is the cook and he's doing Chateaubriand this year, there's a bit in our freezer that was £15 but the prices have gone up a bit since then. It looks fancy and tastes great if they're foodies and it's so much cheaper than turkey or goose...

That's so lovely lazy!

@MerylSqueak we did a roast pork loin one year with cranberry and orange, lovely and festive whilst also cheaper. We also tend to make a ham over Christmas period, DH does a gingerbeer ham which is nice.

flavia that jumper looks great. I’d never be brave enough to just take a pair of scissors to something I’d made though!

The yarn is on Wool Warehouse www.woolwarehouse.co.uk/yarn/stylecraft-recreate-all-colours. I checked because the lady in the shop said it came in a navy but the shop had sold out of that and I thought the navy would look really good in a jumper for me, when I can get round to it! It’s £4 for a 100g ball so not too expensive. Just slightly limited on colours but the colours they do have are really nice. They had all but the navy in the shop and they come up nicer in person than on the wool warehouse website.

I meant to say yesterday @CrochetBug that I love the texture on those legwarmers.

I am going to look up chateaubriand because I don't know anything about it. I had thought of pork and yours sounds lovely @InTheNightWeWillWish. I'd discounted it because DS doesn't like it but he wants to be vegetarian anyway so he won't care too much really (I've told him he can do it properly once he can whip up a few meals for himself - he's only 11 and very partial to a burger so I am not being very horrible not letting him now). As long as he has creamed parsnips he's a happy chap.

And how's the bab? @InTheNightWeWillWish

She’s good, thanks @MerylSqueak. I think she’s a pretty good baby actually. She’ll mostly sleep in her crib or Moses basket. She’s slightly nocturnal and feeding is still a pain in the arse. We go from fast asleep with no interest in food to declawing a feral kitten in about 30 seconds but on the whole, we’re doing OK at the minute. I hope I’m not jinxing myself now though I’ve managed to do some crochet. I’ve started a temperature blanket for her and I’ve done up to yesterday. Although, I’m not sure I’ll keep up for the whole year but we’ll see!

Before I make a couple of the attic24 crochet snowflakes for my friend's tree (and it is just a couple in echange for a bottle of rosé), has anyone seen any other nice patterns about?

I've got some white dk lurking about, but will see if Poundland have any of the sparkle white in tomorrow before I make a start on them.

I've made these before

whiskersandwool.blogspot.com/2011/11/lacy-snowflake-ring-ornament-ringing-in.html?m=1

whiskersandwool.blogspot.com/2011/11/christmas-wreath-ring-christmas.html?m=1